More PMETs are furthering their qualifications through programmes like Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Master of Professional Accounting (MPA). The programme, which is one of the most recognised graduate qualifications in accounting locally, also attracts professionals from non-accounting backgrounds who deal with financial data at work.
越來越多的專業會計師通過新加坡管理大學(SMU)的專業會計碩士(MPA)等課程繼續深造。該課程是新加坡當地最受認可的會計專業畢業生資格之一，也吸引了那些在工作中需要處理財務數據的非會計背景專業人士來就讀。
The MPA is accredited by 11 professional, regulatory and academic institutions in Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. MPA graduates who want to obtain Chartered Accountant (CA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) status and enrol in the professional qualifications offered by organisations like the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) will be granted exemptions on foundation modules. This will save them time on their journey to professional accountancy.
MPA獲得了新加坡，澳大利亞，英國和美國的11個專業，監管和學術機構的認證。MPA畢業生想要獲得特許會計師（CA）或注冊會計師（CPA）身份，並注冊新加坡特許會計師協會（ISCA），英格蘭和威爾士特許會計師協會（ICAEW）、特許公認會計師公會（ACCA）等機構的專業資格時，將獲得基礎模塊的免修。這將爲他們的職業生涯節省大量時間。
Associate Professor Wang Jiwei, SMU’s programme director of the MPA programme, cites two other aspects of the degree that make it appealing to students besides the high level of professional recognition: A world-class faculty, and high graduate employability.
新加坡管理大學MPA課程主任、副教授王紀偉指出，除了專業認可度高以外，MPA學位還有兩個吸引學生的地方：世界級的師資隊伍和畢業生的高就業能力。
According to Prof Wang, in the past few years, more than 90 per cent of students find a job within three to four months, while 100 per cent of the students find employment in six months. The MPA programme also saw more than 90 per cent of the students securing an internship within the accounting and finance domain.
王教授表示，過去幾年，90%以上的畢業生在3至4個月內找到了工作，而100%的學生在6個月內找到了工作，90%以上的學生獲得會計和金融領域的實習機會。
新加坡管理大學MPA項目主任王紀偉教授
SMU adopts an interactive and project-based teaching pedagogy to engage the students in meaningful learning, says Prof Wang. He added: “One of our courses, Audit and Assurance, is taught by our industry partners from two of the Big Four accounting firms. Learning from them will be very insightful. On top of the technicalities of accounting, you get to pick up critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which will give you an edge in the workplace.”
王教授表示，新加坡管理大學采用互動和以項目爲基礎的教學方法，讓學生參與有意義的學習。他補充稱：“我們的一門課程——審計與認證——是由四大會計師事務所中的兩家的合夥人講授的。學生將從他們身上學到很多深刻的見地，除了會計的技術性之外，還能學到批判性思維和解決問題的技能，這將使學生們在工作中更具優勢。”
MPA graduate Qu Rui, who enrolled in 2018 and completed her studies in May this year, agrees that being taught by a practising accounting professional was highly beneficial. “Our professor shared his rich working experience and core audit knowledge with us,” she said. “Despite having no experience before, this class gave me a concise but vivid understanding of auditing and assurance.” She also believes that the school activities and projects taught her how to communicate and compete, while a volunteering session improved her sense of social responsibility.
MPA畢業生Qu Rui于2018年入學，並于今年5月完成學業。“我們的教授和我們分享了他豐富的工作經驗和核心審計知識，”她說。“雖然之前沒有任何（會計）經驗，但這門課讓我對審計和認證有了一個簡潔而生動的理解。”她還認爲，學校的活動和項目教會了她如何溝通和競爭，而志願者活動提高了她的社會責任感。
ADDING A SPECIALISED EDGE
增加獨特的競爭力
While Ms Qu joined the MPA as a full-time student, Mr Shawn Chen chose the part-time route as he was busy with his legal career.
Mr Chen, a corporate lawyer specialising in corporate finance law, decided to carve time out of his schedule to enrol in the MPA, citing his desire to better serve his clients. “I felt that I often had gaps in my understanding when I spoke with bankers and auditors regarding the accounting, audit and financial aspects of a corporate finance transaction, and I wanted to fill these knowledge gaps,” he explained.
Qu Rui是一名全日制學生，而Shawn Chen則選擇了非全日制授課（Part-time）課程，因爲他正忙于自己的法律事業。他是一名專攻公司金融法的企業律師，他決定從自己的時間表中擠出時間，加入MPA，理由是希望更好地爲客戶服務。他解釋說：“當我與銀行家和審計人員就公司交易的會計、審計和財務方面的問題進行交談時，我感到我的理解經常有差距，我想填補這些知識的空白。”
Two of Mr Chen’s then-colleagues, who practised tax and regulatory law, had graduated from SMU’s MPA and recommended the programme to him. While he was forewarned of the heavy time commitment needed, he found the deanery to be very supportive of part-time students. “They do their best to accommodate the different needs of part-time students who juggle work, family, studies and other matters,” he said.
Shawn當時的兩位同事從事稅務和監管法律工作，畢業于新加坡管理大學專業會計碩士課程 (MPA)，並向他推薦了該課程。他知道就讀該課程需要投入大量的時間，但他發現課程管理團隊非常支持非全日制學生。他說：“他們盡力滿足非全日制學生的不同需求，這些學生要兼顧工作、家庭、學習和其他事情。”
MPA畢業生Shawn Chen和Qu Rui
Mr Chen enrolled in the MPA in 2017 and graduated in 2019. Currently the general counsel for Deloitte Southeast Asia, he said: “The MPA has given me the tools and the confidence to face different issues and challenges, and it ensures that I am well-informed and able to offer solutions that are legally sound, context-driven and commercially practicable for our leaders and staff.”
Shawn于2017年入讀MPA，2019年畢業。目前擔任德勤東南亞的法律總顧問的他說：“MPA給了我充足的技能和信心，去面對不同的問題和挑戰,我對信息有靈敏的感知度，並能在合法的框架內爲管理層和員工提供符合環境和商業利益的最佳解決方案。”
For Ms Qu, she feels that the MPA has given her essential technical knowledge and an extra edge that makes her stand out as a job seeker.
“Nowadays, the accounting profession is no longer just about having a degree certification; it is also about communication, analytical and leadership skills,” said Ms Qu, who will begin work as an associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers next month. “The MPA, through its curriculum and committee activities, has allowed me to be a more competitive candidate with both hard and soft skills.”
而對于Qu Rui來說，她覺得MPA給了她必要的技術知識和獨特的競爭力，使她在求職者中脫穎而出。“如今，會計專業不再只是獲得學位證書；它還涉及溝通，分析和領導能力，”她將于下個月在普華永道會計師事務所擔任審計師。“MPA通過其課程和活動，使我兼具軟硬技能，也更具競爭力。”
NEW DEMANDS, NEW OPPORTUNITIES
新的需求，新的機遇
In the era of big data, technology will be driving the transformation of the accounting ecosystem. Technologies such as AI, blockchain and cloud computing have a direct impact on the methods of accounting, and the tools and processes used in the accounting and finance domain.
在大數據時代，技術將推動會計生態系統的轉型。人工智能、區塊鏈和雲計算等技術對會計方法、會計和金融領域使用的工具和流程有直接影響。
Some experts have predicted an expansion in roles for accounting professionals, who can look forward to new job opportunities and augmentation of existing roles. Freed from manual work such as bookkeeping, accountants of the future will have the freedom to take on strategic and analytical responsibilities, like managing IT projects, optimising resources, providing deep insights and even working alongside other units such as operations or sales to evaluate new opportunities for the business. Accounting positions requiring critical thinking, problem-solving and human interpretation will be more in demand than ever.
一些專家預測，會計專業人員的職位將會增加，他們可以期待新的工作機會和現有職位的增加。擺脫了手工記賬等工作,未來的會計師會承擔戰略和分析責任的自由,像管理IT項目,優化資源,提供了深刻的見解,甚至業務或銷售等其他單位一起工作來評估新的業務機會。會計職位需要批判性思維、解決問題和人性化的解釋，這將比以往任何時候都更受歡迎。
To further enhance the skillsets of its MPA graduates, SMU is revamping its curriculum to include Data Modelling and Visualisation as one of the programme’s essential modules, and launching additional courses such as Blockchain in the New Economies. The school will also be introducing a Global Study Programme, where students will go for an overseas study trip to broaden their perspectives.
爲了進一步提高MPA畢業生的技能，新加坡管理大學正在修改其課程，將數據建模和可視化作爲該課程的基本模塊之一，並在新經濟體開設區塊鏈等額外課程。該校還將推出一項全球學習計劃，學生將前往海外學習，以開闊他們的視野。